HTC Sense to get music, video services and more

In an interview with Forbes on Thursday, HTC’s head of User Experience Drew Bamford provided some insight into where the company’s Sense product is headed in the near future. Sense started as a UI overlay placed atop various platforms on HTC devices. While the UI aspects of the product remain a central focus, HTC will continue to expand Sense in several areas off the device. The recently launched HTCSense.com portal is one example of Sense’s departure from phones, though it remains underutilized and confined to just two devices for the time being. Bramford says several services are on their way to Sense, however, including music and video content services as well as access to newspapers, magazines and eBooks. HTC already launched an eBook service in Europe that it plans to expand to other regions in 2011. HTC also plans to launch its own video chat service akin to Apple’s FaceTime, along with several services that focus on home entertainment. These and other services will be made possible by the continued transition to faster 4G cellular data networks. “At some point, you can imagine replacing your home Internet service with your 4G phone,” Bramford said. “I think we’re on the cusp of that transformation where mobile products and living room life collide.”

We dont need MORE proprietary chat, video, audio programs. the point of android is that no matter what phone you get they should all be able to use and interact with the same apps. this is BS

Norm

No, the point of DROID is that it offers an open source platform cellular companies like VZW to decide how you will get our services and products. DROID DOES. RULE THE AIR! GOT A MAP FOR THAT?

Anonymous

No DROID is a phone…DROID is not an OS. Get ur sh!t straight dummy!

Anonymous

You’re the dummy. You fell pray to norm lol

Cer

DROID is a trademark, it’s not an operating system.

Tomm

@Davis Darvish Stop worrying about fragmentation and think of this as competition, which is good.

Frank

I don’t see 4G replacing my home Internet unless it is TRULY UNLIMITED…

Anonymous

Norm = Retard

Cer

“I think we’re on the cusp of that transformation where mobile products and living room life collide.”

Yes, if by “collision” you mean the excessive burning of cash due to charges for overusage. If HTC is really going to say this, it better be talking to Verizon behind the scenes about how its data caps are going to curtail mass adoption of 4G as a replacement for broadband internet (or even high speed DSL).

“The second reasons is finances, although it depends on the pricing model that Verizon uses for the new phones. The faster the network, the more that people will use it. The average monthly customer on Teliasonera’s 4G network, for example, gobbles up nearly 15 GB of data. That means customers could blow through a 5 GB data plan on 4G handsets far faster, which would either generate overage charges or cause customers to switch to larger data plans at higher monthly prices. In either case, Verizon is likely to see a jump in ARPU, or average revenue per user, once LTE handsets arrive. Although data pricing for LTE phones may differ, Verizon currently sells two LTE plans for data device: $50 a month buys 5 GB per month, while $80 doubles the limit; each additional GB over the plan costs $10.”

Anonymous

Like HTC Sense really needed more bloat.

Anonymous

sence doesnt really bloat up products as much as it used to. They are becoming less and less core components of android and more just an overlay. If you dont like sence then root your phone and install CM there you go regular android no special stuff.

Kamilzambrzycki

I agree that the idea is great but it’s going to fragment android even more. I mean skins are fine and good but adding features like this might not be the best. Google should be adding these features to the os. Not htc they should just stick to the manufacturing of and skinning of their products. In fact it would have been awesome if google would just buy htc. They should have also bought palm in my opinion but that ship has sailed.

Anonymous

They…just….don’t….get…it. I’m waiting for the next iphone before I replace my original droid.